


You Strike (And I'll Strike Back)

by veronicassadboi



Series: Jeronica Nation [2]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Mild Smut, Smut, There is smut but it's only light so it's whatever, bad attitudes and cockiness ya feel me?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 15:57:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21394825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veronicassadboi/pseuds/veronicassadboi
Summary: There’s a pause on the phone. “What’s in it for me?” he asks, “Apart from the pleasure of your company?”“The pleasure of me not kicking your ass?” she snaps back.Souphead laughs on the other end. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.”“Yeah? You have to be the most annoying person on earth.”“Oh, baby. If you hated me that much, you wouldn’t be asking me for help.”Toni sniggers. “Exactly why I’m asking you for help, baby,” she tells him. “Because if Jughead beats your ass, I won’t feel bad.”“Count me in,” he replies darkly. “If I’m lucky, you’ll be the one beating my ass.”Toni hangs up the phone, she doesn’t bother saying goodbye.
Relationships: Toni Topaz/Original Character(s), Toni Topaz/Original Male Character(s), souphead jones - Relationship, toni topaz/souphead jones
Series: Jeronica Nation [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1552414
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	You Strike (And I'll Strike Back)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [The Jeronica Nation](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=The+Jeronica+Nation).

> This is the brain baby of the entire Jeronica fandom. A dash of positivity during these weird times. Souphead Jones is our new Serpent King and no one can take that away from us! Queen TT and Serpent Souphead, the King and Queen of the Jeronica Nation.  
There is smut at the end, only a little, but it's there so do what you must.

_ **You Strike (And I'll Strike Back)** _

* * *

Toni watches Jughead inside of Pop’s from outside, leaning on the car she begged Reggie to let her buy for a price she knew she ripped him off with - she owed him one, but the desperation of wanting to own something that was all hers and not Cheryl’s was overpowering. Trying to gain back even a little bit of power was liberating and a physical reminder of that was the damn car. 

At first, the freedom was everything she could have asked for, it almost felt like it washed over her, like she could drink it down - hell, like she was drowning in it. Until one month later, she was stuck in Jughead’s bed with him bitching about every little thing he found wrong with his Northside Juliet. Then they were both complaining about their Northside Juliets while binge eating M&M’s and watching The Goonies on repeat. What little freedom she had gained back was filled quickly with the Serpent King himself. 

Toni looks at her phone, scrolling through the list of numbers, she was pissed at herself for even having his number, but glad she didn’t have to ask Jughead for it - she may have hated him, but he irritated Jughead even more and he was never one for a Jones Family Reunion in the first place. 

Toni looks inside of Pop’s again, Jughead leaning one handed on the counter with Veronica’s smile dangerously close to his. Grinning. Toni hated grins, so sweet, so precious. For lovesick idiots - it truly was a disease.

She sighs, pressing the name that she doesn’t want to acknowledge, scared for what she was unleashing. On Riverdale, on Jughead, on herself. 

But if Jughead was going to snap out of his damn illness, this was the only way. 

The phone rings and she’s so tempted to cancel the call, but before she can, that thick, layered drawl starts on the other end. “Ah, baby,” he says, “God blessed me the day you decided to call me, it’s a fucking sin that you and I aren’t together.” 

Toni groans, rolling her eyes - tempted to throw her phone at the wall. “Souphead,” she sighs, closing her eyes before opening them to see Jughead awkwardly standing at the counter as Veronica makes another cup of coffee for him that Toni knows he doesn’t need. His latest caffeine addiction is simply to keep the smile he gets from being around her on his face. “I need you to come to Riverdale and sort Jughead out.” 

His snicker vibrates through the phone and she can just imagine he’s somewhere with a cocky smirk on his face and his Toledo Serpents jacket on. “Sort Jughead out? Or finally be with you so you can see what it’s like to be treated like the Queen you are.”

Toni’s face blushes, briefly allowing his words mull over in her mind. “The Serpents are without a Queen at the moment.”

“Oh I didn’t mean a Serpent Queen, I meant _mine_. But I can make you Toledo’s Serpent Queen if you want…”

Toni scoffs, “Your smooth talk isn’t getting you anywhere, Souphead. I’m not calling you just for you to try and make a move on me, even if you’re trying to offer me your chapter.”

“We can talk Serpents Hierarchy all you want, Toni, if it’s going to help you to give me a chance.” 

“Sounds desperate if you ask me,” Toni says, smile playing on her lips. 

“Desperation is all I feel when I’m around you.” 

“Ugh!” Toni breathes, “Look, can you help me or not? This weak ass attempt at trying to flirt with me is wasting my time.” 

“Ah!” he challenges, “So you could tell I was trying to flirt with you?”

Toni exhales loudly. “Jughead is in love with my friend Veronica and I just need to get him moving along because all he does is whine all night and convalesce at home and I don’t have time for that.” 

“What are you thinking?” Souphead replies slowly, Toni knowing that she’s sparked his interest.

Toni smiles into the phone. “I don’t know, show him what he’s missing out on? Flirt a little with her?”

“What if she falls in love with me?” he asks, chuckling. 

Toni rolls her eyes again. “She won’t. Trust me.” 

“Ouch!” he snaps. “You’re trying to break my heart?”

“Only if you had one.” 

There’s a pause on the phone. “What’s in it for me?” he asks, “Apart from the pleasure of your company?”

“The pleasure of me not kicking your ass?” she snaps back. 

Souphead laughs on the other end. “I love it when you talk dirty to me.” 

“Yeah? You have to be the most annoying person on earth.”

“Oh, baby. If you hated me that much, you wouldn’t be asking me for help.”

Toni sniggers. “Exactly why I’m asking you for help, _baby_,” she tells him. “Because if Jughead beats your ass, I won’t feel bad.”

“Count me in,” he replies darkly. “If I’m lucky, you’ll be the one beating my ass.”

Toni hangs up the phone, she doesn’t bother saying goodbye.

* * *

It was unsettling the way Souphead looks just like Jughead. Only his entitled stride and cocky lick of his lips seem to annoy Toni a bit more. He had pulled up his Triumph next to her Mustang, pulling his kutte across his back he winks at her standing in the doorframe of Jughead’s trailer. “Hey!” she calls, running down the steps to greet him.

She’s taken in one movement, his hands on her hips and his long hair swept back. But his lips scratch her skin when she’s in his arms and he smells like leather and cigarettes. Stepping back, she eyes tattoos across his knuckles, tongue along his teeth and that look that he gives everyone. Like he could kill them just as quickly as they fall in love with him, and that was the very reason why she hated him. 

His arrogance runs through when he looks down at her, his stature looming over her but she knows how quickly she can get him down on his knees with just one kick. “You came!” she says, grinning at him. 

He moves in close enough for her to feel the heat of his breath when he says; “I wasn’t going to let you beg.”

Toni feels the heat creeping up her neck, the feeling of Souphead’s hands on the bare skin of her hips still ghosting on her, but she swallows it down, stands up straight and looks him in the eye. “Isn’t that sweet of you…” she says. “Jug! Souphead is here!” she calls out. 

“Damn you make a lot of noise,” he says, holding up his hand. 

“I’ve got a couple of ways I can help you with that,” she grumbles. “Punch you until you’re ears ring…”

“You could put your thighs around my ears,” he suggests with a grin. “That’ll block the noise out.” Souphead’s eyes darken, rubbing his hands together. 

Before Toni can lunge at him, Jughead gets to the door. “What are you doing here?” he spits in a way that makes Toni hold back a laugh. 

“Hi Jug,” Souphead returns sarcastically. “Yeah I’m great! How are you? I’m so excited to be here too. Nothing quite like coming home to be reunited with my favourite cousin.”

Toni watches Jughead make his way to his cousin, an awkward hug that is only half returned by Souphead. “What are you doing here?” he asks. 

Souphead flicks a lighter, sparking up a cigarette with his eyes closed. “Well you know,” he says, flicking a look in Toni’s direction. “We Toledo Serpents like to get around and Riverdale always did have the best shakes I’ve ever tried -”

“You didn’t come all the way to Riverdale for a shake, Souphead,” Jughead says thickley. 

“Well, and of course to see my favourite cousin…” Souphead’s lopsided grin starts again. “And of course his beautiful room mate, now, is it possible that one Toni Topaz has become even more beautiful?” 

“Bite me,” Toni says, wanting to slap that smug look off his face. 

He runs his tongue over his teeth and gives her a wink. “You just tell me where, baby.” 

Jughead fidgets from foot to foot. Toni knows Jughead holds only a little love for his cousin, his entitled air is suffocating a majority of the time but if there was anyone that was going to get a rise out of Jughead and stop him from wasting his time, it would be Souphead Jones. “I mean, the trailer’s pretty full with Toni and I.” 

“Serpent King,” Souphead laughs. “I’m sure I’ll fit, if not, I’ll fit in just perfectly with Toni, I’m sure she doesn’t mind sharing with the Serpent King of Toledo…” 

“You don’t have to call me that,” Jughead says amusedly. “It sounds ridiculous.”

Souphead shrugs, “You can call _me_ that,” he replies easily. “I think it suits me.” 

Toni regrets ever making that phone call. 

* * *

Souphead sits in between Jughead and Toni. He was somewhat of a peacemaker, but he was really shitty at it. Jughead found out Toni had invited his cousin, and thought it the perfect time to give her the silent treatment - something that she wished Souphead would give her too, but that was a gift he wasn’t giving, instead, he filled in the silence from Jughead with his talk. She didn’t blame Jughead, if she could, she’d stop talking to herself too because Souphead was non stop chatter and snarky comebacks, the kind that she couldn’t argue with - the kind that she wants to slap out of his mouth. Just as well his mouth is pretty, she thinks. It’s the only thing stopping her. 

She can’t stop concentrating on the way he runs his tongue across his teeth. When he used to live in Riverdale when they were younger and he was the biggest pain in the ass Southside Elementary ever had, he used to do the same tick. Now that he’s older, all it does is accentuate that his lower lip needs biting. 

She hates him even more for making her feel this way. 

“You look pretty today, baby,” he mumbles into her ear. 

“Thank you,” she says shortly. “You do too.” 

“Oh I know,” he laughs back, running a hand through his long hair. “It’s a pity I’m not pretty enough for you.”

His fingers drum on the counter, long and thin, the tattoos spread across his knuckles in a way that makes her want them on her skin. She’s distracted when Veronica makes her way to the counter. “Anything for you, TT?”

Veronica’s eyes dart to Jughead at the end of the counter, to Souphead with confusion and back to Toni with a small smile and bright eyes. “I’ll just take a coffee please, V.” 

Souphead meets Toni’s eyes quickly. “Pop’s Special, please… Now, how did a girl as beautiful as you end up in a place like this?”

Souphead’s grin pulls in Veronica and Toni gazes over to her best friend who was tapping on his keyboard, annoyance still vibrating off him towards her that she just shrugs off; when was Jughead Jones not mad at something? Veronica laughs, her eyelashes heavy and luring. “Who are you?” she asks him. “Jug’s long lost twin?”

“Something like that,” Toni adds, sipping on the coffee that Veronica hands her. Watching the scene unfold before her, she notices the way Jughead’s attention is torn back and forth between Souphead and Veronica, tension evident in his jaw and the hurried pace of his typing. Toni smiles to herself, pleased with the reaction. There was only so many times she could tell Jughead to just go for it, Archie and Betty were away for the Summer but things hadn’t been the same. She knows the feeling all too well - falling out of touch. She fell out of touch with Cheryl and it was hard, but the freedom and the ease of things now was worth it. Jughead deserved that too, even if it was with Veronica. He was fluttering eyelids and soft words at midnight over coffee, walking her home to the Pembrooke every night and hushed words in the trailer living room with Veronica still in her Pop’s uniform - he could pretend it wasn’t what Toni thought it was, but Toni’s intuition was more in tune with Jughead than he was with himself. 

Souphead kicks the counter, “Souphead,” he says, straightening his jacket across his back. “The bigger, better, sweeter, more attractive version of my dear cousin here.” He digs his elbow into Jughead’s ribs. 

Veronica steps back with an incredulous look that makes Toni laugh. “Oh, I’m sure… and for you, Jug?” she asks as she puts down a plate in front of his cousin. 

“The usual please, Princess.”

“Syrup?” she offers Souphead.

Souphead elbows Toni lightly in the ribs too, jutting his head towards Veronica. “Ah, Princess, don’t tell me you know this guy,” he says, faking surprise. “I can show you a better time than this sad sack of-” 

Veronica cuts him off. “Don’t call me _Princess_,” she says with a hiss in her tone. She starts overflowing the plate with syrup, menacing smile on her face. “You’re sweet, aren’t you? You said so yourself,” the whole jug is emptied on his plate. 

Toni looks straight ahead, holding back a laugh that feels like it’s escaping her chest. Never had she seen anyone in the years that she’s known Souphead get under his skin the way Veronica had. Souphead seems to jerk in his seat, nervous foot bouncing on the railings and his jaw tenses. Toni looks over to Jughead who’s trying just as hard as she is to suppress a smirk, his eyes brightening as he watches Veronica. 

Veronica changes her attention from Souphead’s plate to Jughead’s eyes. “Wait for me after my shift? So I can show your cousin just how well I know you.” She turns back to the coffee machine. 

Souphead looks at his plate of food with disappointment, “You owe me a meal, Topaz,” he groans, pushing sausage around it. 

“You were supposed to flirt with her, not make her hate you,” she whispers. 

“You didn’t tell me she was in love with him,” he hisses back. 

Toni rolls her eyes. “I told you they both like each other,” she snaps under her breath. 

He ignores her, turning back to Jughead. “Who is she? She’s scary, she’s beautiful, my kinda girl.”

“Veronica Lodge,” Jughead mutters. 

“Damn, Jug. She’ll eat you alive!”

Jughead remains silent, eyes never leaving Veronica in front of them. 

“What’s a bet I can get her to go out with me?” again, Souphead is met with more silence. 

“You’re doing great,” Toni says sarcastically. 

“You’re going to have to pay me for this, Jughead is going to murder the shit out of me,” he whispers.

Toni laughs. “Not unless he kills me first for bringing you here.”

“She’s not my kind of girl,” he says, leaning down to her ear. 

“Oh yeah?” Toni says, “And what is?”

Souphead chuckles. “Someone like you.” 

“You’re full of shit,” Toni replies. 

He just shrugs, but something tells her that maybe he wasn’t lying. 

* * *

The music at the Whyte Wyrm is too noisy in a night that feels relatively calm. She stands outside the women’s toilet, waiting for a moment of silence. 

Heavy footsteps come up the corridor towards her. “I’ve been your puppet for days now, Toni,” Souphead states. “Jughead finally put on his big boy pants and is talking to Veronica at the bar which is fantastic because I honestly thought she was going to skin me alive, how she puts up with Jughead, I dunno.”

Toni looks at him sideways. “You look the same, you don’t act the same. Jughead is no where near as annoying as your ass.”

“You mean to say I’m not a depressing emo like him?”

“That’s an insult to put yourself in the same sentence as the emos,” Toni fakes shock. 

“I didn’t come out here for Jughead, T, you know that, right?”

The air is thick and heavy, he leans against the wall with one hand and she stands in between, the smell of his jacket mixed with his cigarette pulls her closer and the way his lips move as he speaks in his drawl makes her want to taste him. She knows he didn’t come for Jughead, she knows she could call him for any reason and he’d be on his bike riding to Riverdale for her. “Are you trying to be nice?”

“Are you trying to kill me?” he asks, lids lowering. “Because it’s working.”  Souphead slowly follows behind her as she drags him by the wrists, trapping his pulse under her fingers but he smiles with an easy high smile and he watches the way she almost disappears under shadows when she's so short against the rest of the world. He bites his lip as she spins on high heels, fluttering eyelashes to the music but she pulls him close by the flannel around his hips and pulls his jacket lapels to bring him down to her. “You're driving me crazy already, baby,” he whispers in her ear. “Are you trying to kill me?”

He smooths his hands up the back of her thighs, but she reaches behind, grabbing his wrists again. “We're at a party, Souphead,” she whispers back. 

“Are we?” he teases, “Because all I see is you and me.”

She ignores his whispers when she pushes the door of the bathroom open, then kicks open an empty stall. 

He spins, shutting the stall door, hands quickly on her skin before she has a moment to catch a breath. Before she knows it, his tongue is all over her skin, teeth scratching on her collarbone and her hands fast, pulling up his shirt so she can feel his stomach suck in when she takes in his tongue. Their teeth click and crash, not close enough, not fast enough. 

She notices the lighting of the filthy bathroom stall while her impatience runs rampant through her. It’s a mixture of sterile bleach and his cheap menthols that keep her grounded, bra strap ripped, lip between her teeth, throbbing between her legs. “Hurry the fuck up,” she hisses at him while he sits on the toilet seat with the lid down, fumbling with his belt buckle and his leather jacket still on. “If you want me to be your Serpent Queen, you can take that as an order.” 

Souphead’s face flushes red but the music through the Whyte Wyrm seems to be growing louder and Toni takes off the rest of what’s left of her bra and pulls it out from under her shirt. He drags his eyes over her body, plaid print hitched around her hips. But he finally gets his belt undone and he shoves his jeans down his legs, settling on his thighs. “Come on then,” he snaps back, cocky grin on his face. “Prove that you can lead.”

Toni separates her legs before lowering herself onto Souphead whose jaw tightens and mouth opens a little, making her smirk as she watches him jerk a little and his breath get stuck in his throat. She starts grinding with a sigh of relief, it had been a long time since she was filled  _ this _ much and any anger she held towards Cheryl was being let out as she grabs both Souphead’s hands that were reaching for her breasts by the wrists and twists them, moving them to above his head. “Don’t you dare move.” 

She bounces up and down on him, moving her hips in circles. She licks Souphead’s neck before biting down on it and by the sound that escapes his lips that she muffles with her tongue, he likes it. 

She keeps kissing his neck with him thrusting deeper inside of her. But by the time the words; “Fuck, Toni, I’m gonna -” but she’s pulled him out from between her and he’s messy on her stomach. 

She stays sitting on his lap, running her tongue over her teeth while he’s kind and caring in the way he adjusts her shirt, picking up her discarded bra that he ripped with his desperate fingers and handing it back to her with a coy look. 

She kisses him on the lips, sweetly and nothing like the hurried rush of their mouths before. He doesn’t hold back, needy for more. The sweetness of his tenderness just fuels the way she pushes deeper against him, forcing his hand between her leg. 

She comes on his hand and his tongue on her skin.

“See, baby,” he says silkily on her neck. “When are you going to admit that maybe you should let me shoot my shot?”

She grabs his hand, sliding it up her thigh again. “Maybe I will.”


End file.
